


Types of Love

by procrastinationfairy



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, also percy and annabeth are major characters, but if you're wondering, i should probably make a list but i'm lazy, nico's other soulmates are reyna hazel and jason, not gonna bother to tag all the characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-08 18:49:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12870798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/procrastinationfairy/pseuds/procrastinationfairy
Summary: Nico lowered his eyes to his bedspread, suddenly acutely aware that he hadn’t replaced his Mythomagic comforter when he’d moved out of his dad’s house. He’d been too lazy to buy another, especially since his was still perfectly good. His soulmates usually thought it was kind of funny. His romantic partners, if they ever made it inside of Nico’s bedroom, knew Nico was a nerd and expected no less. At this moment, Nico wished he had something a little nicer. His cheeks grew red, stomach fluttering in that pleasant way only Will could give him, and for a moment, he considered the idea that Will might return his feelings.But he should have known better. They were soulmates. Will just got up and left.//In a world where romance means less than friendships, Nico falls in love with his platonic soulmate Will Solace and complicates his whole life.





	1. Philia

**Author's Note:**

> This is an incredibly self-indulgent, complicated universe that probably has a ton of plot holes. Don’t think about it too hard. If you really have a question, feel free to ask, but I’ll probably be pulling the answer out of my ass. Anyway, to summarize the universe: Everyone has four platonic soulmates. Soulmate marks appear on the first place where soulmates touch. Because of platonic soulmates, in this universe, platonic love is valued over romantic love, meaning that “more than lovers” is probably a more likely phrase than “more than friends.” Romantic love isn’t uncommon. People go through two or three long-term relationships or marriages in their life, usually. Some people marry a soulmate and raise children together, thus creating a romanceless marriage. The nuclear family unit is very uncommon. The End.
> 
> Another minor note is that to clean up family ties, I made Persephone Hazel’s biological mother.
> 
> Sorry about any grammatical or spelling errors. I've done as much editing as I can stand alone, but both of my normal betas were busy with NaNoWriMo (as was I), so it's not been looked as extensively as most of my work. Expect updates on December 14th, January 1st, and January 24th.

**Saturday, November 11th, 2017**

Nico would be the first to admit he’d never had much control of his mouth. His soulmates would be the second, third, fourth, and fifth, and they’d fight over who said it first, as it was kind of obvious. He was a bit of an asshole sometimes, mainly because he didn’t think before he spoke. It had always gotten him into trouble. Usually of the “has no respect for authority” kind.

“I’m in love with you.”

Nico may have been the first in the world to ever get into trouble for telling his soulmate he loved him.

Okay, sure, in love is different than love. In love was romantic, a relationship of one’s own creation and not the predestined, pure love between soulmates. And, sure, there were a ton of people in the world who thought romantic relationships were inherently lesser than platonic relationships. So maybe Nico definitely should have known better than to confess his non-platonic feelings, but to be fair, Nico hadn’t intended it. Will had just beaten him at Mario Kart, and his stupid face was stupidly attractive--summer always lingered in his skin, leaving him bright, freckles all across his face and down his neck, and his hair had some lighter streaks, and he was _smiling_. It was disgusting, and frankly, who could blame Nico for being in love with someone like that?

“What?”

Maybe Nico should have prefaced that with something. Maybe he could have added that it didn’t change the fact that Will was his _soulmate_ , and Nico never, ever wanted to give that up. Will was and would always be as important as Hazel, Reyna, and Jason, and just because he was in love with Will didn’t mean he didn’t _love_ him.

Nico wasn’t exactly good with people. His soulmates had always come naturally to him. Romantic relationships . . . well, Will had always helped him traverse those, and Will couldn’t tell him what to say right then. Either shocked that he’d had the courage to say anything, or maybe just reeling from the way Will’s face crumpled, how devastated he looked, Nico said nothing. He stared blankly as Will dropped the Gamecube controller on Nico’s bed. Will looked at Nico, waiting for some sign that he was joking or something. Nico lowered his eyes to his bedspread, suddenly acutely aware that he hadn’t replaced his Mythomagic comforter when he’d moved out of his dad’s house. He’d been too lazy to buy another, especially since his was still perfectly good. His soulmates usually thought it was kind of funny. His romantic partners, if they ever made it inside of Nico’s bedroom, knew Nico was a nerd and expected no less. At this moment, Nico wished he had something a little nicer. His cheeks grew red, stomach fluttering in that pleasant way only Will could give him, and for a moment, he considered the idea that Will might return his feelings.

But he should have known better. They were soulmates. Will just got up and left.

That in and of itself wasn’t unusual for Nico’s experience with romance. But for a soulmate? It really sucked. And it sucked even more than this time Nico couldn’t turn to Will.

-

**Thursday, October 7, 2010**

Of his four soulmates, Nico had taken the longest to click with Will.

Hazel was Nico’s baby sister. Growing up side by side, their soulmateship was easy to develop, from the time Nico allowed her to do his hair to the time Hazel punched the boy who stole Nico’s Mythomagic cards on the playground. Though they had sibling spats, they were impossibly close, and Nico knew he wouldn’t trade their relationship for a thing in the world. Reyna was the next Nico met, at fourteen in the hallway on his first day of high school. Reyna was the sophomore student president, and being busy with the duties that entailed, she was late to class. Nico just overslept. They bumped into each other when Nico decided he could totally walk down the halls with his eyes closed, since it was just a square, and for some reason, they’d stuck together since. Jason and Nico joined up as long-suffering partners in their junior biology class. Nico had steady relationships with three out of four soulmates by eighteen, and he knew he was lucky in that respect. He’d seen how it took time for his soulmates’ soulmateships to settle in.

When he met Will at nineteen, he’d kind of expected it to go the same way. Well, not kind of. He had. Where his other soulmates accepted Nico’s idiosyncrasies and unsociability, Will didn’t. Will had always been special like that.

They met on campus, late afternoon as Nico was walking to his car after class and Will was playing Ultimate Frisbee on one of the fields. Nico had just enough time to look over and think, “Damn, that guy is hot,” before the frisbee smacked into the side of his head.

This, of course, meant that Will, as the only nursing student of the bunch, though he'd hardly taken any medically inclined classes yet, was elected to check out the innocent bystander and make sure their game hadn't ended in manslaughter.

“Shit, shit, shit, sorry, shit,” was all Nico heard as he sat up. When had he landed on the ground? He reached for his head where a lump was already forming, and, ow, that was tender. Nico exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. Oh. The hot guy was right there.

“Do you know your name?” the guy asked. Nico eyed the freckles trailing over his bare arms, brown skin glowing in the afternoon sun. Suddenly, those arms shifted, a hand grabbing onto the back of his neck. “Oh, no, oh, shit, okay. What’s today’s date? Can you speak? Are you alive?”

“Uh, I’m breathing,” said Nico.

The guy exhaled. “Oh, thank god. Okay. I think I need to talk you to the campus clinic. You got smacked pretty darn hard. Left a goose egg. And I’m doing so hot on the concussion check myself.” He reached to touch the bump on Nico’s head lightly. Nico groaned.

“I have to get home,” he said.

Hot-Freckles stared. “You are _not_ driving home without a concussion check.”

“My sister’s waiting,” Nico protested.

“And she’ll be waiting in a hospital if you have a concussion and get behind the wheel,” Hot-Freckles said. “I like to think I’m pretty easy-going, but I’m not letting up on this one. You’re coming with me.” He grabbed Nico by the shoulder and yanked him without concern for if that would injure him further. The motion shook Nico’s head, and he groaned again, stumbling into Hot-Freckles’ side.

Some of the other players came running down the hill. “What’s going on, Will?”

Hot-Freckles--Will--said, “I think he has a concussion. I’m going to take him to the clinic. Y’all can keep playing, but try not to hit anyone else.”

“I need to go home,” Nico said. The players exchanged a look.

“Yeah. I think you need to take him. See you.”

It seemed like no time at all until they arrived at the campus clinic. If Nico filled out any paperwork, he didn’t remember it. Mainly, he was leaning up against the hot freckled guy, grabbing onto his arms and chest to brace himself. Yes, to brace himself. Not to feel him up or anything.

“So what happened to Mr. di Angelo today?” the nurse asked. She addressed Will, probably because Nico was wavering even as he sat on the bed in the exam room. Will reached to steady him.

“I was playing Ultimate Frisbee with my friends, and we kind of-- Well, the frisbee smacked him upside the head,” he said. He had a Southern twang to his voice, kind of like Hazel did, but different. Nico really liked it.

The nurse raised her perfect brows. “Mm. Likely a concussion, then. Let’s see.” She moved to Nico’s side and paused. “That’s an interesting spot for a soulmate mark.”

Nico stopped. “Wuh?”

“The soulmate mark. On your neck,” she said. Nico paused. He had Hazel’s mark on his finger, where she’d grabbed it in the hospital as a baby. Reyna’s was on his chest. Jason’s was on his back. He didn’t have one on his neck.

Will leaned over, and his blue eyes grew wide. “Oh. Well, allbedamned.” He lifted his hand and admired the _Niccolò Lorenzo di Angelo_ across the side of his palm. He kindly held it out for Nico to see. Nico kindly leaned over and puked across his shirt.

The rest was kind of a blur. Will was given a shirt to change into, from one of the other nurses. Nico vaguely remembered Will asking a lot of questions, as he was studying to be a nurse and this was right up his alley. After some tests, the nurse agreed it was probably a concussion, and with some instructions for rest, Nico was sent home.

“Do you need a ride? I live on campus, but I have a car,” Will said as they walked out of the clinic.

“You’re being pretty nice to a guy who just puked on you,” Nico said, still holding his head.

Will gave a crooked grin. “Well, we are soulmates, apparently. Though I got to say, I hope you don’t puke on your soulmates all that often.”

“Only Hazel. And she’s my sister,” Nico joked. Will smiled and helped Nico call her for a ride home, adding his number in there as well.

Maybe it meant something that Nico was checking Will out before he’d learned they were soulmates. As soon as he knew, he packed up any attraction and tucked it away in a box never to be opened. Nico moved on to other guys, and Will became a normal part of his life as his soulmate, completely platonic.

-

**Thursday, November 23rd, 2017**

In spite of Nico’s failure to get in touch with Will over the course of the week, he wasn't planning to miss out on Thanksgiving. Their little bunch (consisting of Hazel, Reyna, Jason, Piper, Leo, Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil) always had their Thanksgiving meal in the bowling alley Cecil’s family owned, a tradition started in college when none of them could afford to fly home for Thanksgiving break, and Nico and Hazel’s parents decided Thanksgiving was the best time for their anniversary cruise. It had a strange vibe, being empty save for them, and having an entire meal spread between all of the tables at the lanes made it even stranger. They were exactly the right people to enjoy this sort of thing.

The issue was that this was Cecil’s family’s bowling alley, and Cecil was Will’s soulmate. Nico was sure if Will didn't want him there, Cecil would uninvite him. But then again, most of the others going we're only known through Nico--Hazel and Lou were soulmates as well, but--

No one had said anything. Nico had to assume he was still welcome.

“Did you remember the sweet potatoes?” Hazel asked from the kitchen of their townhouse. She had a pile of dishes in her arms, and her golden hair bounced every time she turned her hair, landing lightly on her red scarf.

“Uh, you're carrying them,” Nico said, gathering up his own stack.

Hazel peered down. “Oh. Shouldn't you put on a coat?” she asked, glancing over her brother, dressed only in a black sweatshirt and jeans.

“We're just loading the car,” he said.

“But you complain if it's less than 60 degrees. Last year, you tried to make Will carry you around to keep you warm.”

Nico tended at the mention of Will but tried to play it off as adjusting his pile. “Will’s from Texas. He's always cold. Sharing body heat is kindness,” he replied.

Hazel snorted. “You're from Italy. And we grew up in New Orleans. Besides, Will’s not as whiny as you are when it comes to the cold.”

Nico stuck out his tongue and raced to the door, turning the handle with his knee. Hazel was right. The cool air of New England in November was more than he wanted to handle, not that he would admit it. Still, she seemed to know, staring at him as they placed the dishes on the back floorboard.

“Go get your coat and grab the keys,” she ordered, leaning up against Nico’s car.

Nico was suddenly aware of how he'd crossed his arms over his chest, and he clamped them to his side. “I'm only getting it in case Will gets cold and wants to borrow it,” he lied.

“Sure,” Hazel said.

Will would have no need to borrow his coat. Inside the bowling alley, it was a toasty 75, a much needed change from last year.

“Is this warm enough for you, Nico?” Cecil called from behind the counter when he walked.

“Is this warm enough for Will?” he asked automatically. Will, standing next to Cecil, was suddenly very interested in examining the bowling shoes, which was weird, because most years he complained about how unsanitary sharing shoes with so many was until Lou or Cecil told him to shut up and buy his own. Cecil, thankfully, didn't notice, and returned to flipping on all the lights.

“Ah! It burns!” Lou Ellen cried as she ducked underneath a table, abandoning her Addams family-style tablecloth half-rolled.

Hazel giggled and pushed a curl out of her face. “Are Jason and them not here yet?” she asked.

“Nah,” Cecil said. “Go ahead and spread the food on the concessions stand. We installed a heated counter, so I'm hoping it will be useful.”

“Leo was tinkering again,” Lou Ellen explained.

Nico nodded, eyes still locked on Will, still determined not to look at him. He sighed and helped Hazel set up the food.

Lou Ellen slid out from under the table and pulled Hazel into a hug. “Mm. Smells delicious. That's why you two are always on cooking duty,” she said brightly.

“Nico just hates to clean,” Hazel said. Those two seemed prepared to dive into conversation, which was the perfect opportunity for Nico to make his way back towards Will. If he could just--

“What's up, buttercups, I brought blacklights!”

 _Valdez_.

Jason, Leo, and Piper walked into the alley cheerfully, carrying some boxes full of god-knows-what, with Valdez running the show.

“Hey, Nico!” Piper said brightly, plopping her vegan cake down. Sloppy frosting letters spelled, “Fuck the Pilgrims, Native American Appreciation Day.” She paused and placed her hand flat on the counter. “Is this--?”

“Leo.”

“Ah.” Piper moved the cake to an aisle table instead. “So Jason told me you got a promotion.”

“Um--”

“Congratulations,” she said brightly, and curse Jason for getting an incredibly nice girlfriend that Nico actually respected so he couldn't run off in the middle of a conversation. Where was Will now? Cecil was still by the counter, but he-- “--though I don't get your desire to spend more time around dead bodies.”

“Ha. Yeah,” Nico said.

Piper furrowed her brow. “Hey--”

“Pipes! Can you help me with this?”

Piper turned to her boyfriend. “Oh. Yeah, just a sec.”

Then she was gone. Great. Nico was free. Now to find Will.

“Nico.”

 _Ugh_.

“Hi, Reyna,” Nico said, very careful to ensure his tone was even. Reyna could pick up on the slightest issue, and he could not risk acting any out of the ordinary around. She was dressed nicely, hair pulled back into a bun, a button-up, lipstick, the whole nines. She still looked like she could murder ten men in fifteen seconds. “You look nice. What did you bring?”

“The knife,” she said coolly, reaching into her purse. “Cecil texted me and said they broke their turkey-carving knife, so--”

“How?”

“No clue.” Reyna tucked it back into a hidden pocket, probably with her other secret weapons. “Oh, and I made coconut pudding.”

“Yum,” Nico said.

Reyna nodded. Then, a pause, and she turned to look at him, the green flecks in her eyes suddenly piercing. “Are you--?”

“Hey, everyone’s here? Let’s eat!” Cecil yelled, tossing the piles of bowling shoes to the side.

“Please, wash your hands,” came Will’s voice from somewhere in the chaos. Nico craned his head frantically. It was no use. Everyone crowded around the table, filling their plates, and suddenly they were down at the lanes, same as ever. Reyna, Hazel, and Nico sat at one table, next to them, Jason, Leo, and Piper, and then at the other end, Cecil, Lou Ellen, and Will. Damn it. Why did they always set up like this?

“We’re not going to bowl while we eat again, are we?” Jason asked. Nico heard Will say something, but he couldn’t decipher what it was. Jason turned around from his table to face him. Why could Jason talk to Will when Nico couldn’t?

“So how’s work, Reyna?” Hazel asked brightly from her seat beside Nico. On the other side of the table, Reyna perked up.

“I’m teaching a new class. You should come. It’s great for the core, and--”

There was Will, up to get dessert. Perfect. Nico slid out of his seat.

“Hey, mister, you eat your meal before dessert!” Hazel scolded, a grin spreading across her lips. Nico looked to her, then his plate.

“I dropped my fork,” he said as he grabbed his fork from his plate and threw it to the ground. Hazel and Reyna looked in disbelief. He took that opportunity to sidle over to the counter.

“Will.”

Will glanced up from the plate of panna cotta he’d just grabbed. Nico couldn’t help but smile. Will loved panna cotta. That was why Nico made it every year.

“It has berries on top. It’s healthy,” he defended, as if that’s what Nico had come over to discuss.

“I’m not the one who gives the health lectures,” he said.

Will looked him over. “No kidding. Have you been sleeping?”

Not well, Nico thought. He was sure the bags under his eyes from college had returned full-force. It was a wonder no one else had commented on it, but Nico did go through spells of insomnia. Will was the one who noticed when it got really bad. “If by sleep, you mean laying in bed, uh, no.”

The words hung between them, half-natural banter and half-pure discomfort.

Will pressed his lips together and lowered his eyes, blond lashes gleaming against his brown skin.

“Will,” Nico said, breathy, loving, in love.

“Oh, no. I dropped my fork,” Will said and dropped his fork. He walked off to get another.

-

**Thursday, November 25, 2012**

“Nico! We’re Skyping Mom and Dad! Get in here!” Hazel yelled. She was curled up in the computer chair, knees in fuzzy pajama pants up to her chest, socks sliding across the leather seat. At only 8:30, it was pretty early for bed, but Thanksgiving was a tiring affair, especially when it dissolved into a bowling tournament halfway through.

Nico made a gurgling sound that roughly translated to, “I’m coming!”

“He’s brushing his teeth,” Hazel told their parents.

“Of course he is. He knew we were going to call,” Persephone di Angelo-Levesque sighed. Her hair was adorned with a variety of small flowers woven into her braid, and she was picking them out and tossing them at her husband, waiting for some sort of reaction. Hades made no move.

Hazel smiled. “He said he has to get the taste of Will’s cookies out of his mouth. Will said it was his grandma’s recipe, but . . . . Well, as Nico said, they tasted like he dug them out of the garbage.”

Nico stuck his head out of the bathroom and made another unintelligible sound, probably defending his soulmate (even though the cookies were truly disgusting), toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

“Go away. You’re foaming at the mouth,” Hazel said.

Nico rolled his eyes. On the screen, Persephone smiled at her daughter. “Are you sure you’re the little sister?”

A few moments later, Nico came out of the bathroom and pulled up another chair, leaning close to Hazel to see. “What couldn’t wait until morning?” he asked.

Hades stared. “Since when are you awake in the morning?”

Hazel laughed.

“Shut up,” said Nico, ears burning red.

“Settle down,” Persephone said, staring down at her stepson. “We didn’t call you to argue.”

“Darn. That’s what I put in my planner,” Hazel sighed, snapping her fingers.

Persephone frowned. “You’re spending too much time with your brother.”

“Soulmates. She gets me,” Nico said, pulling Hazel underneath his arm and ruffling her hair.

She snorted and got him back, though his dark hair was already messy. “Ha--I really don’t. You’re a weird one, brother.”

Nico stuck his tongue and licked her cheek, and she screeched until their parents cleared their throats.

“I would have thought you’d be a little less energetic after spending all day with your friends,” Persephone remarked.

Hazel perked up. “Oh, it was great! We went to Cecil--that’s Will and Lou’s roommate. They’re all soulmates--anyway, we went to his family’s bowling alley, because they don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving, but business is slow so they still the close the place. We bowled the whole time. Jason showed up later, but Piper and Leo couldn’t make it. Reyna had to work. But we’re thinking maybe we’ll make it a tradition. Most of them said they’ve never been able to go home for Thanksgiving”--“Unlike us,” Nico interrupted, staring at their parents pointedly--“so this was a nice change.”

“I’m glad you had a good time,” Hades said.

“So did we. You’ve never lived until you’ve had Puerto Rican food on Thanksgiving,” Persephone said.

“Then we’ll have to ask Reyna next year,” Nico said.

Hades pursed his lips. “So you’re really not coming home for Thanksgiving next year?”

Nico crossed his arms. “Don’t put this on us. You’re the ones who decided to go on a trip and leave us to starve.”

“You can cook, Nico,” Persephone said.

“Well, I don’t like to.”

“What matters is,” Hazel interjected, “we had a good time. And we’ll be home for Christmas, like always.”

“Like always,” Hades echoed, giving his son a look.

The di Angelo-Levesque family talk continued until about ten, when Hazel started yawning, head falling onto Nico’s shoulders.

“I think that means it’s time to say goodbye. Happy Thanksgiving,” Persephone said, hair now free of all flowers.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Hazel and Nico replied. The call dropped, and for a moment, they just leaned against each other.

“Those cookies Will made were so bad,” Hazel said.

Nico laughed. “Yeah. He can’t cook.”

“He’s lucky he’s cute,” she said. “Honestly, thank you for bringing him into my life, because cute boys are always welcome.”

“Hazel!” Nico stared at her.

She shrugged. “Just saying. Most of the cute boys you introduce me to are your dates. This one’s at least bi and single.”

“You are not dating Will,” he said.

“You can’t stop me.”

“You’re both my soulmates. You can’t date each other,” he argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hazel, taking that as a challenge, sat up. “Jason and Piper are dating, and Leo’s their soulmate.”

“That’s different.”

“It’s not though,” Hazel said, rolling her eyes and leaning back up against his arm. “Don’t worry, though. Will’s not his type.”

Nico snickered. “No. His mom is.”

She jerked away. “That is totally unfair! Naomi Solace is an inspirational black woman breaking barriers in country music--”

“--and apparently really hot according to you, Lou, and Reyna,” Nico replied.

She huffed. “Well. I really couldn’t date him then. It’d be too weird.”

“To be hot for his mom?”

“Nico!”

She glared, then snatched the skull ring off of his finger and ran down the hall. Nico sighed and leaned back in the chair, too tired to chase her. It didn’t really matter. She’d return it in the morning. After a moment, he rose from his seat and moved towards his bedroom.

Hazel wasn’t interested in Will, he reminded himself.

Why did the thought even bother him?

-

**Thursday, November 30, 2017**

“Why are you here?”

The question was directed at Reyna and Jason, who were gathered at the kitchen table with Hazel, the only one who actually lived there. Nico tossed his coat onto the rack as he leveled his soulmates with a cool stare, hoping that would get them to confess their scheme. It didn’t work. Reyna was the master of the cool stare, and Jason wasn’t wearing his glasses. He couldn’t see shit without his glasses.

“This is an intervention,” Reyna said.

Nico’s face was blank.

“Maybe it should be about all his wine bottles. I mean, damn, Nico, you’ve only been drinking for four years. How many do you need?” Jason asked, staring at the shelf to the side.

Nico rolled his eyes. “I inherited that from my mom, dumbass. And I’ve been drinking since I was sixteen.”

“That’s not legal in America.”

“I’m Italian.”

“You’re still in America.”

“This is not the point,” Reyna interrupted, voice sharp. Hazel nodded her support. Jason held his hands up in surrender, but Nico didn’t budge. “We’re here to talk about Will.”

Nico stiffened. “What about Will?” He kept his voice as level as he could.

“What the hell was going on at Thanksgiving?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nico wondered if it would seem too coincidental if he said he forgot something at work. Of course it would. They weren’t going to let him get away.

“Nico, you and Will are normally joined at the hip when you get together. I know your hours don’t line up well. I’ve never seen you avoid each other like that,” Hazel said, as soft and gentle as ever, and dammit Nico hated that. It was hard not to talk to her when she used that tone.

Jason bit his lip, stretching the scar across it a little wider. “You weren’t avoiding him, though,” he said. “You tried to talk to him, didn’t you?”

Damn it. He really wasn’t getting out of this one.

Nico sighed and took a seat in the remaining chair. His soulmates perked up.

“I’m in love with Will,” he said.

Hazel and Reyna’s faces contorted, a curled lip, scrunched nose, wide eyes. Jason remained impassive.

“Look, I know it’s--” He stopped, not really having a defense. “I’m going to get over him. I couldn’t help it. But it’s not like-- He’s still my soulmate, and I thought-- Fuck.” Nico sighed and buried his head in his hands. Hazel reached to pat his shoulder.

“You know, not what I expected,” Reyna said, as awkward and clunky as she ever was when it came to emotions. Jason and Hazel gave her a look for interrupting. Nico adored her. He didn’t do this emotional shit either.

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Hazel admitted. “You never said a thing to me. Have you been struggling with this for a while? Oh, Nico.” She threw her arms around her brother’s shoulders, leaning against him.

“It’s nothing. Will’s just hurt, okay? He’ll get over it, I guess,” Nico said, tugging himself from Hazel’s hold. He wasn’t convinced. Will hadn’t even spoken to him since. But he couldn’t hold out forever. They were soulmates.

Reyna raised her brows and made a disbelieving noise. “I don’t know. If you told me you were in love with me, I’d--”

“We’re both gay,” Nico said, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Okay. If Hazel told me she was in love with me, I’d be pretty uncomfortable. I mean, we’re beyond that,” she said, clasping her hands on the table. She lowered her eyes. “My point is that it would be rather . . . insulting.”

“I didn’t mean to insult him,” Nico said.

“No one said you did.” Hazel tried to defuse the situation.

Nico huffed. “It’s not my fault he was just being so cute, and, god, I was quiet about it for a year, so it’s not like I just-- I didn’t mean to--” He stopped, the weight of what was happening settling over him. He couldn’t really lose his soulmate over this. Could he? He needed Will, as much as he needed Hazel, Reyna, and Jason. They were his soulmates, his life partners. Without Will--

He blinked, tears gripping at his eyelashes. Reyna and Hazel stared, both looking ready to gather him up in their arms.

“You’re not the first.”

The other three turned to Jason, who’d been silent this entire time. His face was solemn, brows drawn together as he looked at the table.

“Look, I don’t go spreading this around because it’s not my business, and they like to keep it quiet,” Jason said, sitting up and hitting his hands on his knees, “but my soulmate Percy--he’s married to one of his soulmates. Annabeth. They’ve had a romantic relationship since they were . . . sixteen, I think.”

“Oh. Wow,” Hazel said, looking honestly astonished. She leaned back in her chair, shoulders slumping up.

Jason shrugged. “I was kind of shocked when I met them. But they’re happy together. So I think it’s fine. If they want it, then what’s it matter?”

Reyna and Hazel didn’t disagree. They looked to Nico.

“Lucky them,” he said, slamming his head into the table.

Jason smiled, the scar scrunching up. “I know it’s not what you want to hear. But I don’t think there’s much advice we can give you about this. They may have ended up together, but I think they’ll get what you’re going through. You should talk to them.”

Nico grunted.

“Well, since we’re all here,” Hazel said, brightening the room with a smile, “why don’t we watch a movie? What do you say, Nico? I’ll let you pick first.”

“Mythomagic: The Movie,” he said, slowly sitting up.

Jason and Reyna mock-groaned. He cracked a grin. So did they.

 


	2. Pragma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for any errors in this chapter. I didn't have time to edit too extensively with the posting schedule I put myself on. (Why did my dumb ass schedule an update during finals week?) Anyway, this girl is Dying, so I'll just post and disappear for a bit. Hope you guys like it anyway.

**Wednesday, December 6th, 2017**

Nico didn’t take Jason’s advice.

Well, he didn’t call the Chase-Jacksons. He didn’t know them. He didn’t even know if Jason had mentioned him and his dilemma. It would have been too weird, especially when this was a problem he could solve. All he had to do was get to Will, and things would be fine.

He let Will calm down for a few days more, and then he decided to swing by his apartment after work. That would be fine, he assured himself. He knew Will’s schedule like the back of his hand. He would be home then, and they could have a quick talk, and everything would go back to normal. Will would be his soulmate (nothing else, half of his brain whispered with a sharp longing for the curve of Will’s lips, his freckles, the way his calves stretched when he walked).

The motivation to keep from losing Will entirely stayed strong through the day, and by the time he parked down the street from Will’s apartment, Nico was solid in his resolve. This was what was best. He had to see him. It had to be okay.

Will, Cecil, and Lou Ellen didn’t exactly live on the high side of town like Nico and Hazel. Nico didn’t like to stand outside their door too long, especially with that pale, beady-eyed neighbor of theirs. When he knocked once, he waited five minutes. Then he knocked again. He peeked around the side of the building to the resident parking lot. Will’s car was there. So was Lou’s. Why weren’t they answering? It was only 6:04. Will especially took a while to wind down after a shift. There was no way he would have walked in and crashed on the couch. He was up. Why wasn’t he answering? 

Nico lowered his eyes to the peephole in the middle of the doorframe. Oh.

He knocked again. After another minute, the door finally cracked open, and Lou Ellen Blackstone, 5’ nothing, skinny as can be, leaned to block the entrance.

“Nico,” she said, in a tone that she probably thought was neutral enough to keep him from suspecting anything. 

“I want to see Will,” he said.

“Will’s not home,” she said. A shuffle from inside the apartment echoed to the door. She glanced back in concern before snapping her gaze back to Nico. “Can I take a message?”

“Since when do you take messages, Lou?”

Lou Ellen raised her chin defiantly. “Since I decided to be nice. Do you have an issue with that, Nico?” She crossed her arms and stretched up. So she was pissed. Probably on Will’s behalf. What the hell had he told her?

Nico clenched his teeth together. “ _Y_ _ ou _ have an issue with me. Lou, I just want to talk to Will. I don’t think that’s asking for much. Is he really so upset that he can’t even answer the door?”

Lou didn’t answer. She tellingly glanced back behind her.

Nico leaned a little closer to the door. “Will, I’m sorry! But this is kind of pathetic. We’re soulmates. We’re supposed to be able to talk to each other. Are you really going to hide in there behind your soulmates?”

If Lou Ellen had felt any sympathy for Nico, not that she’d shown it, it all disappeared. “What makes you think you have the right to see him right now? Will is  _ not _ pathetic. You know that you-- You can’t blame him for being upset,” she said.

Nico’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not. I just--” He needed to see him. He needed to fix it.

Lou’s magenta lips stretched into a grimace. “If you didn’t live with Hazel, I’d punch you right now. Good night, Nico.”

-

**Thursday, December 12th, 2013**

Nico would be the first to admit he’d fallen asleep in a student lounge before. He’d spent four years at this university, and he’d grown to learn that sometimes the only way to get a decent amount of sleep was to curl up on a couch in a lounge and take a nap during a break.   
  
This guy took it to a whole new level. Nico had sat down after his class on grieving had ended, and he’d intended to finish his essay when a stocky underclassman wandered in as well, with a large bag instead of a backpack. He didn’t look at Nico. He didn’t even seem to realize he was there, actually. The guy run a hand through his fluffy blond hair and sat down on the opposite sofa, placing his bag slightly off to the side. He reached in, and Nico figured he was going to pull out some textbooks. That was fine. As long as people were studying quietly, Nico didn’t mind sharing the lounge. But then the guy pulled out a pillow and a blanket, and how did that fit in there? Nico stared blankly at the guy, who suddenly looked up at him.

“I didn’t get to bed until 10 last night. Homework,” he explained. “And then I had an 8 a.m. Mm. Need my rest.” He slumped back onto the couch and was out within seconds.

What the fuck?

Nico went to bed at 10 if he was sick. How could this guy think that was late? And be tired? Why was Nico watching him snore on the couch in the lounge as if it were more interesting than grieving?

Perhaps it was curiosity, or Nico’s innate dickishness that made him start pestering the guy. He tore off the erasers of the crappy pencils they handed out around campus that he always took because he was cheap. They more smudged than erased, so it didn’t hurt to get rid of them. That did nothing to Sleepy. Nico then moved on to tossing the pencils themselves. He’d started stealing Will’s, so he didn’t really need them. That did nothing either. He checked his phone for the time. 10:34. Still twenty minutes before he needed to get up to had to class. Presumably, Sleepy would get up then too. Twenty minutes to see if anything would wake this guy up, then.

It was after Nico threw a wadded brochure on study-abroads that he finally gave up. “God, what are you--sleeping beauty? Do I have to kiss you to wake you up?” he exclaimed, glancing around and realizing the lounge was empty save for them after he spoke. God. If someone had heard that.

“Prefer if you took me on a date first,” Sleepy muttered.

Nico froze, his ears suddenly pink. “You . . . heard that?”

Sleepy nodded, peeking a warm brown eye open. “You spent this whole time throwing things at me. Couldn’t sleep.”

Oh.  _ Oh _ . Nico was a fucking moron.

Sleepy, luckily, didn’t seem too annoyed by Nico’s actions. He sat up and smiled, a nice smile that made it easy to relax. “I’m Clovis. Psych major. I have an unidentified sleep disorder. It’s difficult for me to stay awake for long periods of time,” he explained.

“Well, now I feel like a dick,” Nico said.

Clovis’s half-smile grew just slightly. “You can make it up to me by taking me out to dinner.”

Shit. Shit, Nico, a guy is hitting on you. Say something. Accept! Get a date!

His mouth didn’t listen to his brain very well. “Could you even stay awake for dinner?”

Clovis paused. “Probably not,” he admitted. “Maybe just treat me to pizza then. We can do it at my apartment. Text me?” He picked up the brochure Nico had tossed and unfolded it, scribbling his number below the email address for the program. Then he wadded it back up and tossed it at Nico’s head before grabbing his pillow, blanket, and bag and heading off down the hall.

Clovis, Nico thought. He was kind of cute. It wouldn’t hurt. 

-

**Friday, December 8th, 2017**

The Chase-Jackson house rested just outside of the city--close enough to everything they could need, but far enough out that Annabeth had a decent plot of land to develop their dream home. It was very beautiful, Nico had to admit as he walked up to the door. Jason had said Annabeth was incredible, but this was beyond what he’d anticipated.

The welcome mat sat in front of the steps of the porch, and Nico wiped the snow off of his boots before he climbed up the steps and rang the doorbell. It was no wonder the mat was down there. The porch was rather slick. He waited for a few moments, then heard a growing bark and a slam against the door. Muffled voices floated through the door, and a moment later, the door opened to reveal a tall blonde woman and a dark-haired man with his arms wrapped around a large dog behind her. The woman smiled congenially, though she looked a bit ragged, a few curls escaping her ponytail.

“Hi. You must be Jason’s friend. I’m Annabeth. This is my husband, Percy,” she said, pushing the sleeves of her sweater up and gesturing at the man behind her.

Percy beamed, his green eyes bright as his fingers curled a little tighter around the dog’s collar. “Hey! This is Mrs. O’Leary. Sorry, she gets a little excited about visitors,” he explained.

Nico forced a polite smile as he stepped inside and shut the door. “No problem. My dad has a dog a lot like her,” he said. Cerberus might have been worse, as he seemed like he had three personalities. He pulled off his hat and ran his hand over his face in attempt to warm up, ears and nose red from the cold. The house itself was a little warm, and he hesitantly reached to unbutton his coat.

“Oh-- Percy, show him where the coat rack is. I’m going to finish dinner,” Annabeth said. She turned and walked into another room, and Percy let Mrs. O’Leary go. She started to pounce on Nico, but a whistle from her master stopped her. Still, she bounced eagerly, all fluff and paws. If Nico knew these people at all, he’d have reached for the dog because  _ dog _ . But since this was his first time meeting them, he figured he ought to hold back a little.

“Stay,” Percy ordered before pushing his way in front. “Sorry. Our coat rack is in a weird place. Well, it’s-- Annabeth says it’s more efficient, space-wise, and I just go along,” he explained as he pulled out the contraption she’d built into the house. “She knows best.”

After Nico had handed over his coat, Percy embarked on a tour of the house that illustrated just how little he understood of his wife’s design sense and how much he adored all of her choices in spite of that. The house was easy to navigate (thankfully, as Percy’s directions couldn’t have led a rat through a tube) and absolutely aesthetically stunning. They seemed like the most organized couple Nico had ever met, and they weren’t much older than he was. Nico was unwillingly jealous.

“So you’re one of Jason’s soulmates too,” Percy said as they walked along the stretch above the first floor living room. Nico really liked this place. If he didn’t like living in a townhouse so much, he might have told Percy and Annabeth to adopt him. 

“Yeah,” Nico said. “Actually, I’m surprised we haven’t met. I knew he knew you, but he always acted like you lived far away.”

Percy waved his hand. “Well, we did. AB and I, we lived with our other soulmate out in California for some years. Then Grover and his new girlfriend decided to hit the road for a save-the-earth type deal, and Annabeth and I decided it might be time to move back to the east coast. She got a great job, and I found something decent for me. My mom and stepdad live up here as well, so it worked out.”

Nico tried not to react too much at the word soulmate in that context. It was weird to actually acknowledge that Percy and Annabeth were soulmates and in a romantic relationship. They certainly weren’t the first married soulmates Nico had ever met, but he’d never really imagined a romance.

_ Except for Will _ .

Percy seemed to notice where his thoughts were leading. “Why don’t we head down to the kitchen?” he suggested. “Annabeth is probably done by now. Or we can just hang out in the kitchen and bug her. Her eyes get kind of freaky when she’s mad. It’s funny.”

They headed down the staircase and turned into the kitchen, where Annabeth was balancing dishes and heading to the dining room. “Perfect timing,” she said. “Help me carry, boys.” Her voice left no room to argue, and Percy immediately reached for the dish that seemed ready to tip, as well as catching a dish that had looked to be perfectly stable. Nico raised a brow but said nothing as he passed those dishes to him.

When the table had been set up and they’d gone through the traditional compliments of the food, Annabeth immediately set her attention on Nico.

“Jason told us a little about your situation,” she said. “Will is his name?”

Nico choked on a carrot. Mrs. O’Leary bounded into the dining room and jumped on his back as if to give the doggy Heimlich maneuver.

“Missus, down,” Percy scolded. He snuck her a piece of meat. Annabeth rolled her eyes. 

“Look, I’m not trying to push you or anything, but you did come to talk to us about that, right?” she asked. “Yes, Percy and I are soulmates. Yes, we love each other romantically. And I know we’re the exception to the rule. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. But you are soulmates. It will work out somehow.”

Nico lowered his fork, eyes on the tablecloth. “I don’t really know what I’m doing here. What can anyone do anyway?” he asked.

Annabeth looked something like an older sister with the way she smiled there. “We can support you. To be honest, I’m kind of glad Jason mentioned you. We haven’t had much time to settle into a social crowd yet. I mean, we know Leo and Piper, of course, but it seems like everyone’s changed so much since we last lived here.”

“That’s because you’re too busy at work,” Percy teased. His voice wasn’t bitter at all. He sounded so proud of his wife, like he wanted to brag to the world that she was the smartest, most talented architect to ever live.

“You love it,” she said as she leaned in for a kiss. Without any ceremony or even noticing that she’d ignored Nico in favor of her husband, she turned back to her guest. “Jason said you’re a mortician.”

Nico tried not to make a face. It wasn’t normally a subject he brought up upon first meeting someone new--at least, not anyone he actually wanted to know--as most people found his profession distasteful.

“I am,” he said.

“Cool,” Percy said. “Do you have any, like, stories of people coming back to life in their coffin?”

“Percy,” Annabeth said, her gray eyes sharp as she looked over at him. “Actually, do you?”

Nico snorted. “It’s . . . not really a common thing,” he said. “I mean, movies would like you to think so, but no. Most of my stories are a little more, uh--”

Annabeth leaned forward. “Tell us,” she demanded.

Nico’s eyes lifted to the ceiling, flipping through memories as if to search for just the right thing. “Right. Well. Once the hearse driver was running late, so he decided it would be a great idea to speed to the funeral home. The body half-fell out of the coffin. That was great to explain to the widower,” he said.

“Yikes,” Percy said, laughing around his spoonful of peas. Annabeth lightly swatted his cheek. He nuzzled into her hand without a second thought.

Nico had seen a lot of romantic couples over the years, but he’d never seen a couple so in sync, so completely comfortable with each other, even when they weren’t necessarily doing anything romantic. The closest any had come was Jason and Piper, who shared a soulmate and had been friends long before they’d added anything romantic to their relationship. 

The part of Nico’s brain that couldn’t accept Will had no interest in him wondered how they would have worked together. The rest of Nico wanted to smash that part into bits. He must have been making a bitter expression, as Percy and Annabeth pulled apart, and Annabeth smiled sympathetically.

“I know this may not be the best advice from someone married to her soulmate,” she began, “but you should know you’ll get through it. Your soulmate as well. The important part of having soulmates is that good ones never give up the relationship, not entirely. Maybe he needs some time, but you’ll make it through.”

Percy nodded in agreement, the mirth dying from his eyes. “Yeah. That’s one of the hardest things Annabeth and I had to figure out. We agreed that if anything ever happens, and our romantic relation ends, we’ll make sure to stay together as soulmates. Because regardless of what I feel for her romantically, she is my soulmate. She understands me in a way no one else does, and I don’t want to let her go so easily.”

Disgusting. Nico would have thought those words would have made him even more bitter. Clearly Will didn’t care enough about their soulemateship to let him go so easily. And yet . . . maybe they were right. Maybe it would work out. Maybe it would just take time.

Mrs. O’Leary trotted in from another room, squishing her large body underneath the table. 

“Missus,” Annabeth scolded half-heartedly as the dog’s movements bounced the tabletop. Her hands reached to glue the dishes down, though a few food items still sloshed around. She looked at her husband. “Your dog.”

“Isn’t she great?” Percy asked, reaching underneath the table to stroke her head. Annabeth couldn’t fight a smile for long. 

As if she sensed who needed her presence most, Mrs. O’Leary settled at Nico’s feet. Her heavy, fluffy head on top of his feet, Nico was sure. Things would work out.

-

**Friday, February 14, 2014**

Nico needed to learn how to say no to Will. He really did.

“Let’s go on a double date for Valentine’s Day,” Nico muttered as he shuffled through his closet. “Let’s have this be the first time you meet my new girlfriend. Let’s actually go to a fancy restaurant where you have to dress up and look nice.”

“You should give her a break,” Clovis said with a yawn from Nico’s bed. He’d arrived at the townhouse dressed nicely, but his hair was already coming undone from where he’d fallen asleep on Nico’s bed, wrinkles in his finely pressed clothes. If they had more time, Nico might have had him undress and reiron his clothes, but Nico really wasn’t that concerned when they had to be at the restaurant in ten minutes, and he hadn’t even picked his own clothes yet. “She’s probably more nervous than you. You are his soulmate after all, and you’re kind of hard to impress.”

Nico furrowed his brow as he yanked a button-up off of his hanger, sliding it on over his undershirt. “I’m not hard to impress,” he said.

Clovis stared, warm brown eyes almost burning. “You kind of are.” 

“I’m dating you.” 

Clovis tossed a pillow in his direction, and Nico dodged, digging through his drawers to find a decent pair of pants. As he finished the base of his outfit, he grabbed a plain red tie, hands making the knot without a second thought after so many years of wearing a tie almost every day in his father’s house. Though he hadn’t struggled at all putting this ensemble together, clearly Clovis had never seen him dressed like this, as he was staring, mouth half-open.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Nico said a little softer, stepping up to his boyfriend and placing his hands on his shoulder. “You know, I would have rather stayed in with you and watched a movie. Or took a nap.”

Clovis shook his head. “We do that all the time,” he said. “It’s not a big deal to go out once, especially for Will. I know how much he means to you. Besides, I get to see you looking nice. It’s not a bad look for you.”

Nico smiled and leaned down for a kiss.

“Nico! Did you fall asleep again?” Hazel yelled from the kitchen. Damn his half-sister and her ever present need to be his alarm. Well, not damn her, Nico amended, pulling back from Clovis to check his hair in the mirror, then helping his boyfriend off of the bed and leading the way downstairs. He would have been late to far too many things for turning off his lip and going back to sleep if she wasn’t such an angel.

“We’re leaving,” Nico said as he walked through the kitchen. Hazel nodded from the kitchen table, her hair in a bun. He patted the bun, and she swatted at him. “Hey, I got you a Valentine’s gift. It’s on top of the fridge.”

“Why?” Hazel asked, looking up from her laptop.

“You like those orange chocolates. And I owe you.”

She smiled. “I know you do. But what are sister-soulmates for?”

At the risk of being too sappy, Nico wrapped his arms around her waist to give her a hug, then lifted her out of the chair and dropped her on the floor. “Bye, nerd. Get your nose back in the book.”

Hazel lifted her head, eyes bright with indignity. She launched herself at his calves, knocking him over. He fell into the chair, side hitting the seat. As soon as she’d had her revenge, she let go, straightening up and dusting herself. “Tell Will I said hi. Keep him in line, Clovis.”

“Will do,” Nico and Clovis said at the same time, entwining their hands and heading out the door.

They managed to arrive at the restaurant only five minutes late, which Nico counted as a win until they walked in and Will’s latest paramour lifted her head, snapped her gum, and said, “We’ve been waiting.” She was dressed in a blood red dress, a sheer scarf thing wrapped around her shoulders that couldn't have done anything to protect her from the cold. At her side, Will looked much more seasonably dressed, a hat covering his ears, a scarf tied tightly around his neck, and the wool coat Nico had bought him for Christmas.

“Things happened,” Nico said. “We’re here.”

“I figured they would. I made the reservation for 7:30, actually, in case you got held up at work,” Will said brightly, though he gave Nico a look that said, “Please tell her that’s what happened.”

Nico glanced to Clovis, who seemed to side with Will. Everyone always sided with Will when it came to Nico’s temper.

They were probably right to do so.

“If you made the reservation for then, why did you pick me up so early?” the woman asked, her dark eyes cold and sharp with her perfect eyeliner. 

“It’s . . . Valentine’s Day,” said Will. “I wanted to spend time with you.”

“Great Valentine’s Day, sitting and waiting on your soulmate in a crowded restaurant, where I can’t even hear you speak,” she snapped.

Nico cleared his throat. Will smiled sheepishly.

“Oh, so Nico, Clovis, this is my girlfriend Drew Tanaka,” he said. “Drew, this is my soulmate Nico and his boyfriend Clovis.”

“Pleasure,” Drew said, clearly not pleased at all. Well. If she was going to be a bitch, Nico could be a dick right back.

“Let’s just get our table, yeah?” Clovis said, his hand grabbing Nico’s elbow. Nico settled back down, just slightly, looking over to Will. Will sent the both of them a grateful look.

Once they’d sat down, things didn’t get any better. The table had been set with a red tablecloth and glasses of water, a decently nice dinner by any college student’s standards.

“I don’t see anything good on this menu,” Drew said after skimming it lightly. 

Will made an embarrassed expression. “I told you to check it out before I made the reservation,” he said softly.

“You know what I like,” she countered.

“I can’t remember everything, Drew,” he said, brows knitting together.

Shit. Nico leaned closer to Clovis. “They’re about to break up, aren’t they?”

“Looks that way,” Clovis replied, ducking his head and wiping condensation off of his glass.

“We should have stayed home.”

Clovis nudged his side. “Just relax. It’s one night.”

One night might be way too long, Nico thought. When Drew finally decided on a meal, she complained that it had taken too long to get her order. She complained that the restaurant was cold until Will offered his jacket, and then it was that Will’s jacket had cheap lining.

“Drew,” Will hissed, his brown skin rapidly growing a shade of red Nico hadn’t even known he could achieve. His jaw was tight, Adam’s apple bobbing.

“What?” she said. “I am who I am, Will.  You can’t change that.”

“All I asked was that you try to be nice for one night. Nico is my soulmate. I wanted you to make a good impression,” he said, voice growing slightly louder until Nico and Clovis couldn’t pretend they weren’t listening.

“You’re asking me to be someone I’m not.”

“That’s not what I--”

Drew shook her head, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “It was lovely to meet the two of you, but I think it’s time I head out,” she said. She tossed Will’s jacket back at him and strolled out of the restaurant ignoring her (ex?-) boyfriend’s blank stare.

Will looked to Nico and Clovis, swallowing thickly, pressing his lips together until they formed something like a smile. “I’m . . . sorry. This was a bad idea,” he said. “Ugh, and she already ordered.”

“I’ll take it home for Hazel,” Nico said. “She’s been studying so hard. I bet she forgot to make dinner anyway.”

“Hey, no,” Will said. “You two shouldn’t let me ruin your Valentine’s Day. Don't stick around here for my sake. I'll get the bill.”

Clovis smiled. “We weren’t planning on doing much anyway. Let’s just eat and catch a movie or something.”

“And you're not paying. You know it doesn't mean much to me to pay for a meal like this, so shut up and deal with feeling indebted. Or better yet, get over it." Nico's voice softened slightly. "You’ve got to come, Will. Clovis won’t stay awake for me, but he will for someone he has to impress."

“Maybe you just bore me,” Clovis replied.

Will cracked a smile. “If you’re sure . . . .”

“Positive. We want you to come,” said Clovis. Nico smiled over at him. He was a pretty great boyfriend.

-

**Thursday, December 14th, 2017**

Annabeth and Percy had said to give Will space. Nico acknowledged that that was a good idea. Nico himself rarely followed good ideas. He last a few days before he felt the urge to try again on his walk to his car after work.

Phone to his ear, his fingers felt cold even through his gloves, and he consoled himself that even if Will didn’t pick up the phone, Nico would at least be able to put his hands back in his pockets, where they’d be nice and warm. Instead, the dial tone faltered, and suddenly, there was something on the other side of the line. Nico’s heart stuttered as well, and he swallowed. After what felt like weeks upon weeks of being ignored (just slightly over a month, if Nico were being honest), he almost let out a sigh of relief. “Will,” he said.

“Hey,” Will said, his voice not as stilted as it had been the past few times they’d spoken. The bit of warmth had slipped back in, his smooth voice as soothing as ever. “Nico--”

“Please let me talk,” said Nico.

Will fell silent.

“You are my soulmate. I want you to know that,” Nico began. “Beyond anything, you will always be soulmate. And I know I’m not . . . super affectionate or anything, but you should never doubt that you mean as much to me as the rest of them. I wouldn’t want to lose one of them any more than I’d want to lose you. And I think it’s a bit fucking stupid to just ignore each other after only seven years. Hell, Hazel’s put up with me for twenty-five. She has first dibs on dumping me.”

For a moment, the line was so quiet, just a ruffle of static from Nico’s breaths and his fingers tapping on the phone. Then, finally, a soft snort echoed into Nico’s ear. Nico knew that snort. Will was laughing.

“I missed you,” he said softly. In spite of himself, Nico’s stomach flipped. He still loved Will, romantically and more.

“I missed you too,” Nico said. “I just . . . .” He couldn’t bring himself to say any more. Words had never been his strong suit, and none of them felt right to explain what he wanted to Will.

Will let out a breath, shaky through the phone. “I’m still not ready to hang out with you all the time, okay? I don’t think you get how I feel, Nico.”

Nico, closed his eyes, digging in his pocket with his other hand for his keys. “Okay,” he said as he unlocked his car and climbed inside, a little warmer for the lack of wind. “But you can try to explain it to me.”

Will was quiet. “Not yet,” he said.

“Can we keep talking?” Nico asked. “I haven’t . . . . How’s work?”

“Work. Really?” Will asked.

“Just talk, Solace,” Nico said, not quite begging. Will indulged him anyway. Sitting there in his car alone, not even starting the engine, no heat on, Nico felt warmer than he had in weeks. He wasn’t going to lose Will. Not completely. 

He shifted his phone so it rested on his shoulder, absently listening to Will’s stories of his coworkers as he started the car, before hooking the call to his car’s speaker.

“Cecil and Lou are getting pretty sick of me being home all the time, actually. I think they’ll be glad to know we talked,” Will said suddenly.

Nico paused, eyes glued to the red stoplight ahead of him. “Lou said she wanted to punch me.”

Will faltered. “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have told them,” he said.

Nico shook his head, though Will couldn’t see him. “They’re your soulmates. You needed the support.”

“Yeah, but--” Will paused. “You’re my soulmate too. It was your business.”

“Until I told you. Then it was yours,” Nico replied.

“Still--”

“Will,” Nico interrupted, “just let it go.”

“. . . I should probably let you go. I need to eat before going into work,” Will said.

“Night shift again?”

Will scoffed. “Yeah. It’s what happens to us newbies. I’ll probably be working New Year’s Eve again.”

“Sorry,” said Nico.

“It’s fine,” Will said. “Hey, I’ll just-- I don’t know when I’ll see you again. Your birthday at the latest, okay? Don’t get mad if we don’t speak until then.”

“Okay,” Nico agreed.

“See you,” Will said as he hung up, not giving Nico a chance to respond.

“See you,” Nico replied anyway, watching as the light turned green. He blinked as he drove through and added, “I love you.”


End file.
